It’s difficult to surpass the ease of a pellet grill for low and slow cooking. However, the smoke taste is not always as intense as that of burning wood or charcoal, particularly in bigger cuts of meat like pig butt and brisket.
This is when a smoke tube comes in handy. This article will teach you how to utilize this inexpensive item in your pellet grill to add more smoke flavor to your barbecue.
Contents
What is a smoke tube?
A smoke tube is a perforated metal cylinder that carries wood pellets or chips for the purpose of producing smoke.
A smoke tube, like a smoker box or a foil package packed with chips, is intended for long-lasting smoke production so you don’t have to continually replenishing.
A smoke tube may be used to smoke on a gas barbecue, cold smoke, or, in this example, to obtain extra smoke flavor from your pellet grill.
To understand more, see our guide to the finest cold smoke generators.
How to use a smoke tube on a pellet grill
Pellet grills already function by burning wood pellets, but they have a reputation for imparting a mild, faint smokey taste to meals. A smoke tube is a cheap and simple technique to increase taste.
Preparing a smoke tube is straightforward and can be completed in the time it takes to preheat your grill.
A smoke tube may be added at any time throughout a cook, but for the greatest effects, it should be used towards the beginning.
1. Make sure the tube is clean and dry.
2. Fill the tube with wood pellets of your choice
3. Place the tube on the grill grates and ignite one end until a nice flame rolls. You may fan the flame to get it hot and guarantee proper combustion.
4. Allow the flame to burn for 15 minutes to ensure the pellets remain lighted.
5. After 15 minutes, extinguish the flame. Smoke will begin to build and fill the cooking chamber.
6. Put your food on the grill and smoke away.
Make sure the cooking chamber has enough ventilation or the pellets will smolder. If you’re not receiving smoke, try sliding the tube closer to the air openings in the grill lid and making sure the pellets are burning on their own after 15 minutes.
How does a smoke tube work?
To begin producing smoke, fill the smoke tube with your preferred pellets and fire them. You may use the same pellets as in the pellet hopper, or you can mix them together. The combination of apple and cherry is usually a winner.
When you have a great flame with a clean burn, blow it out and the pellets will begin to smolder, generating a lot of smoke.
They keep smoking until all of the pellets have run their course, which takes around 5 to 6 hours in a 12 smoke tube.
This will fill your cooking chamber with a consistent stream of clean smoke, infusing your meal with more flavor than the grill alone.
When to use a smoke tube?
You may use a smoke tube to add smokey flavor to your cuisine at any time. Though it’s ideal for low-and-slow BBQ on a pellet grill, it’s also ideal for shorter cooking and even cold smoking.
If you want some woody flavor in your hot and quick steaks to medium rare, add a smoke tube to your grill and let it smoke while the steaks are cooking.
If you want to cold smoke cheese but don’t want it to melt, use a smoke tube to emit smoke while keeping the temperature low.
If you don’t have a dedicated smoker or want to add additional smoky flavor to your dish, this is a great option.
Pros and cons of a smoke tube
The smoke tube is a straightforward and useful piece of equipment, but it is not without problems. Let’s have a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages.
Pros:
- Cheap way to add smoke flavor to your foods
- Portable for camping or road trips
- Can mix and match wood types and flavors
- Burns slowly for longer cooking sessions
- Easy to clean
Cons:
- Thin metal wears easily with repeated use
- Needs to be refilled with cooks over 5 6 hours
Smoke tube vs. smoke box. vs. foil packet
When it comes to adding smoke to your grill, all three solutions are effective, but a smoke tube offers distinct benefits over the other two.
A smoke tube burns significantly more slowly than a smoke box or foil packet, regardless of whether it is packed with pellets or wood chips. The tube, which is similar to the snake approach, can burn linearly for 5-6 hours in a 12 long tube.
When you require tremendous smoke in short spurts, like the hot-and-fast steaks we discussed before, a box is ideal. See which approach passes the taste test by reading our guide to smoking on a gas grill.
Wood pellets vs. wood chips
Smoke tubes are intended for use with wood pellets, but they also work well with wood chips. The advantage of utilizing pellets is that they last longer and provide consistent smoke, while wood chips burn quickly and must be replenished.
Check with the manufacturer to check that any warranties are still valid if wood chips are used instead of pellets.
Bottom line
A smoke tube is a simple and practical way to add richer smoke flavor to a pellet grill or any barbecue.
If you want smoke flavor and already have a grill, you don’t need to purchase a separate smoker. Place a smoke tube on the grates and let it to give the desired smoke taste.
Have you ever used a smoking tube? Please share your experience in the comments.
